


Godmakers

by Venficus



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Alternate Fox powers, Alternate Universe Lila Rossi, Alya is so confused, Bad Parent Gabriel Agreste, Badass Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Bisexual Chloé Bourgeois, Chloé Bourgeois Redemption, F/M, Hawk Moth is Gabriel Agreste, Honestly fuck Gabriel Agreste, Kinda, Lila Rossi Bashing, Lila Rossi Redemption, Lila Rossi's Lies Are Exposed, Marinette protection squad, Two Fox Miraculous
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-21
Updated: 2020-02-23
Packaged: 2021-02-28 06:20:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,161
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22829350
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Venficus/pseuds/Venficus
Summary: The Kwami are powerful beings, but limited. They were never meant to be full on gods, more...guides. Concepts. Guardians. Chained and bound to the Miraculous, serving the wielders. The Order of Guardians may have known this, but over time, even the strongest of messages may be...distorted.Mostly vague, at least in the beginning, outlining concepts before proper story...
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Onesided Marinette Dupain-Cheng/Pina Rossi
Comments: 8
Kudos: 55





	1. Rage

_Rage._

_Rage is a funny thing. It is the all-consuming emotion that can drive a man to unimaginable heights, and plummet him to terrifying depths._

_Rage can turn even the most kind into a monster driven only to destroy. To see the fires of hate and anger consume and turn all to ash. To watch the world burn in its fury. And yet Rage is strange; in that at times, the greatest of rage can only be spawned by a pure, positive emotion._

_Love. To see that which you treasure above all else fall and shatter to the ground. It is paired with such sanguine despair, that the world itself cracks, at least from the viewpoint of its holder._

_It is the emotion spawned when you see the woman you love in the arms of another man. The boy you chased for years falling for a girl undeserving of his affections._

_This rage is a terrifying, cloying flame that devours reason. It chips away at the mind, at the heart. Why were you not good enough, such as to see them in someone else’s arms? What is it that you lack, that they would turn you away? Why does this unworthy being deserve their affections while kicking you to a zone that you will never escape from?_

_They don’t see you that way. They always thought of you as a friend, and nothing more._

_Petty jealousy sparks incandescent rage, burning away the once pure affection. Why?_

_Why?_

_WHY?_

_Rage is comforting. A blanket of anger and hate that covers up the hurt. It drives you forward, while masking any love you may have felt. It feels good, to inflict your misery and pain upon the world._

_For a time._

_For rage is an emotion that burns away all others, cauterizing wounds and burning away all good things in your heart, until all that remains…is ruin._

_One must always be wary of their rage, for as useful as it is, it is a double edged blade. Take care, lest if separate you from the only reason you feel it. Feed it if it is useful, but do not let it become self-sustaining.  
And yet, rage has its uses, and its seed lies in every heart, biding its time as anger, waiting for the moment it may erupt in a massive ball of conflagration, until it builds up into an unstoppable wave that overcomes all senses and reasoning. _

_Is it for this reason that you seek this emotion above all else, Hawkmoth? Or is it because it is this emotion you feel most clearly? All feel anger, all feel sadness, but it is RAGE that drives your akuma to do your bidding. An overwhelming desire to see perceived wrongs righted, be it by sanguine persuasion…or brutal FORCE. Rage at a parent for not allowing a simple birthday party. Rage at ones lies being exposed harshly. Rage that the boy you like doesn’t seem to be getting the hint._

_Make no mistake, Hawkmoth; rage is how you work best. It clouds your vision, stifles your reasoning. So you prey on other people’s rage. A child. A teen. A man. A toddler. A grandmother. Age makes no difference to you, nor should it._

_But has it occurred to you, Hawkmoth, that just as you are using others, so too are you being used?_

A high, cruel laugh. A sound that shook worlds, shattered stone, and made the stars tremble. Mindless drones, hideous and vile joined in the faithless mirth, even as their hatred devoured planets and stars alike, feasting on flesh and soul. 

A never ending banquet of madness and evil. Eyes that saw everything and nothing, nestled on the tips of horrific spines and tentacles. Madness incarnate. 

No reason. No love. No kindness. Only ravenous hunger. The Other giggled in its insanity, peering through the void on a carpet of dying stars, both physical and not. The membrane between worlds was thin, yet impassable. Not because it could not be broken, but because doing so would be like popping a bubble. Would the life within die instantly? Or would it erupt forth in mad chaos, spreading near and far?

Not even the Other knew. Then again, would it truly care? 

The eyes turned to the light, blinding millions of eyes at once, yet uncountable numbers still remained as those blinded healed. It could not be stopped, nor would it. Even if every eye were pierced, blinded and crushed. Even if its every limb were sliced and pulped. Every cell of its being eradicated and cast asunder. 

It would not stop. Nor could it. 

_Yes…Rage drives you. Born of loss, of hatred for a world that did not stop when your lady love was lost. Rage against two heroes who would keep you from the very magics that could bring her back to you. Rage against a son who has moved on. Rage against the countless ants that can’t do their jobs correctly. Gabriel Agreste, you hold such rage within your heart that there can be room for nothing else.  
Not for a son who loves you, who simply wants you to show you care at all for him._

_Not for your assistant, who has long since harbored feelings for you, a sweet torture that she submits to even while she tries to help you bring back your love, knowing she will forever be left behind, as a convenience. A Friend. A tool._

_You would cast all this away, for your rage. For your vengeance. For your desire._

_You are worthy. Worthy of me. Worthy of RAGE. Worthy of MADNESS. Watch your world burn, Hawkmoth. Watch as your rage burns it to ashes, strangling EVERYTHING you love until it withers and dies at your feet. Watch as you, my pawn, reduce a city to ruin for one woman. Watch as you are left with nothing. Home destroyed. City in ruins. Heartbroken and spent. And still, you are rejected._

_For you are treachery. Using a jewel meant to mend and empower for personal gain. Tiny fledgling gods, bound to jewels, pledging to serve and protect, and you abuse one of these beings. A concept, a fragment of godhood. A fraction of your very essence. These kwami are meant to protect humanity, to guide them on their path away from the void, and you have corrupted not one, but two._

_I could not have asked for a better vessel for my will._

_So play my game, Gabriel Agreste. Hawkmoth._

_Walk as my unwitting pawn. Shatter the guardians of your reality, and bring low their chosen. Open the door to ultimate power, and let it destroy you. You will have nothing. You will feel nothing. You will gain nothing. For madness serves no master…but itself. And Rage…well. Rage is a short road to Madness._


	2. Balance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Concept two: Balance

_Chaos._

_The ever present force of nature. It is said that the wingbeat of a butterfly may spawn a hurricane halfway across the world. For want of a nail, empires may rise or fall to ruin. A single thought, conceived without care, may burn down a civilization, or propel it to ever greater heights._

_Chaos cannot, and will not be controlled._

_But chaos is not evil. How could it be? Chaos sparks change, fosters creativity and life. Without it, the world rots, stagnant and still. From the moment life is breathed into a single cell, chaos led you. It guided you, made you strong. Through winds of adversity, you flourished. With each chip you made, every domicile you crafted, chaos has held true, ensuring your continued evolution._

_Many forget this concept, this simple truth. Chaos is not your enemy. Without chaos, Order could never be. In all things, balance. You created order, clung to it, used it to make sense of your world. You learned the rules, grew to understand the outer shell of Chaos. Harmony exists in balance, and Chaos and Order forever dance, lovingly, protectively._

_They watched you grow strong. Chaos gave you trial after trial, pushing you to your limits, while Order loved and nurtured your growth. When Chaos runs rampant, Order is the barrier behind which you hide, protected from his fury. And yet, when Order becomes constricting, stifling your spirit and extinguishing your flames of life, Chaos steps in and tears down the binding shackles._

_Chaos is freedom._

_Order is reason._

_In all things, Balance._

_Destruction and Creation. Light and Darkness. Yin and Yang. Push and Pull._

_And yet, something seeks to disturb that balance. It exists outside your reality, waiting in the void._

_Waiting to feast. It cares not for balance. It desires nothing other than to feed its insatiable hunger for violence. Your flesh torn. Your mind corroded. Your very soul, sacrificed to its madness._

Over the dimensions of Earth lies a light. It occupies the same space as the darkness, yet touches neither. A Consciousness dwells there, neither solid nor visible. More accurate, one may say, that the being IS the dimension of light. 

The very fabric of this dimension shimmers in perceivable and unperceivable lights and colors, a pigment both seen and heard in a joyous song. There is Light, and there is Love. Shimmering still, yet never predictable. It sings to the tiny creatures it cannot touch, but loves them all the same. It weeps in joy at their triumphs, and mourns with sweet sorrow and pity at their losses. Their minds are small, immature, yet they see such joy in their short lives, in that this being could only ever wish to reach out and touch them, that they may know how much they are loved.

Yet it cannot. Their dimension, their world, it is not ready. It cannot hold this being, and should it reach through the thin membrane that separates them with more than a few tendrils, their reality will implode in on itself, and take all those beloved creatures with it. 

And so it watches, without eyes. Listens, without ears. It reaches forth its consciousness on rare occasions to manipulate and even, to touch a mind with sweet song, to share its wonder and love. 

It is their silent protector, softly nudging these tiny, infantile lights to their glorious ascension, waiting for the day it may finally bring them close, in an immaterial embrace. It longs to sing with them, with each world and each dimension. 

One day, when all the overlapping universes align, and humanity is prepared, the membrane will pop, and the light will welcome its adopted children, but for now, there is danger.

The Other. 

It plots, hatred burning in its gaze. The light can feel it, poisoning the tiny ball of blue and green. This world’s Guardians, tiny, chained gods that cannot yet guide humanity to ascension, they are not ready for this fight. They do not yet know that they are on the brink of War. A War between two greater powers, a War they do not know needs to be fought. 

Already, two potential allies are corrupted. Two are taken out of the fight. 

But there is hope. The Tiny Gods are awake, the two most suited for this battle, and perhaps the greatest forces that Humanity has to bear. 

Creation and Destruction. Do they know what it is they truly are? Do they know the forces, the very concepts they embody? Perhaps, perhaps not. 

But such love does this being have, that it is willing, nay, eager to assist in any way possible. A reaching out. A twist in the fabric of reality. Tearing a tiny hole in the universes held apart by nanometers of reality filters. It tears the fabric of reality, then mends them. Waiting just long enough for a single human to fall through. 

A young being. A mind torn between chaos and order. Rage, caged and tamed with love, harnessed and kept weak. She will help. She must help. 

_Perhaps it is fate. A construct of order to make sense of chaos. For want of a nail. In one universe, a girl would turn away an offer of friendship, and allow Rage to corrupt her heart. It devours her whole, turning her to a puppet, dancing on the strings of Rage._

_Yet in another, a butterfly flutters its wings, and this girl makes…a different choice._

_She reaches out a hand, and accepts the offer given. Lila Rossi. Volpina. Akuma. She shuns Ladybug’s apology, but when faced with Marinette’s sincere offer of friendship, she hesitates._

_**“You don’t have to lie to make people like you, Lila. I can be your friend; and I won’t ask anything in return other than your friendship.”** _

_What is friendship? Lila has long discarded this notion. This weakness. The strong rule, the weak obey. There are those that give and are trampled, and those that take and rule. But perhaps, looking into those sparkling bluebell eyes…perhaps…she was wrong?_

_She accepts the offer, and her world cracks, turned on its head as everything she knew turns to be false. Marinette Dupain-Cheng is an angel, clad in human skin. Every lie she could have told is turned into truth. She now knows Jagged Stone, the famous international rock star. Clara Nightingale allowed her to star in a music video alongside herself and Marinette. Adrien, initially friendly, then wary, warms up to her enough to call her a friend._

_She’s almost moved to tears when she realizes that Marinette has changed her life with her friendship, and she doesn’t even see that as a favor. Marinette simply does so because Lila is her friend. And then, when she thought her heart couldn’t be filled any further with the love that Marinette naturally radiates, it happens._

_The final lie, made true. It comes in the form of a small, black box with red symbols. Inside is a necklace, and a tiny fox god. Trixx. God of illusion._

_Or better yet, God of Truth._

_Lila isn’t an idiot. After all, you have to be able to see through falsehood to lie perfectly. She and Ladybug are not friends. They aren’t really enemies, but Ladybug isn’t holding a grudge. Lila has suspicions when the superhero catches herself on familiar mannerisms. She sees trust in her that shouldn’t be there. And when she finally slips up and calls student Lila by her superhero nickname, Lila Rossi knows._

_She’s hopelessly in love with Marinette Dupain-Cheng. Marinette, who saw her at her worst, yet didn’t hold it against her. Marinette, who took the time to give her every connection she could have ever really wanted. Marinette, who comforted her after apologies to her former victims didn’t go well. Marinette, who trusted her with powers she’d already misused once._

_Marinette, who offered her friendship when she had every reason to hate her.  
So while she laments her lost love, who is head over heels for an oblivious blond who finally reciprocates, she isn’t paying attention when she falls through a crack in reality. She’s caught off guard when she falls into a younger Paris, in her younger body. She’d horrified when she sees Ladybug and Chat Noir on the ropes against evil versions of themselves, and is hurt when both heroes look at her with distrust and suspicion. _

_But nothing incites her **RAGE** more than going to school, and seeing herself. A petty, **VILE** girl, manipulating her classmates. Bullying a kind, near broken Marinette to tears. Twisting her every friendship as the boy she loves remains silent. _

_That coward._

_Lila Rossi discards her name on the spot. She will not share a name with this PEST. Pina Rossi, the Fox Hero Vulpina, assigns herself as Marinette’s bodyguard. She **seethes** silently, bending her own truth just enough to get into class. _

_Lila Rossi wants to declare war on Marinette Dupain-Cheng? Fine. But Pina Rossi will not stand idly by and watch. And if Marinette accepts her feelings? Well, all the better._

_A fox knows when and where to fight, and when to retreat. If Lila Rossi were a true fox, she would be in full on retreat._

_In all things, Balance._

_Pina Rossi and Lila Rossi. Ladybug and Chat Noir. Order and Chaos. Creation and Destruction._

_Balance will be kept. And Woe betide those who attempt to destroy it._


	3. Truth

Truth is a hazy thing, and no one knows this better than Pina Rossi. It practically a requirement to do as she does, and to comprehend this fact is all that it takes to turn a mere “Mirage” to “Fact and Fiction”. 

For instance, it is a Truth that the sun rises in the East and sets in the West. Perhaps in some alternate universe she has not visited, it does not, but it seems to be an immutable constant. Something she can always rely on even when the world goes mad and chaos reigns. 

But she also know that while that is true, it is also not. Take a step back, into space, and observe from the void. The sun neither rises nor sets; rather, the earth orbits the fiery star. Does it truly rise in the east, then? Or is it simply…a matter of perception?

To manipulate perception is to manipulate truth, and to manipulate truth is to manipulate one’s reality. You are a single point, a grounded speck in reality. You observe the world around you in such a way that only you can, and only you ever will. Others may have similar views, similar observations, but they will never be you in that exact moment. The light will never fall the exact same way, the air ruffling the exact same clothes, and your mind will never be thinking the exact same thoughts. Chaos will not allow it.

This too, is Truth. 

To use the spell Mirage, one must have a basic understanding that reality is flexible, and that sight is fallible. To use Mirage is to take your thoughts, your reality, and bring that perception into the world, and in doing so, fool those around you. Bring forth your memories, your thoughts, and the images that dwell within your limited scope of mind, and interpose them into the reality that you observe.

But this spell is fragile. The image incomplete. It is a lie, a fabrication. It is not truth. Trixx knows this. The Kwami, the chained God of Truth and Illusion knows this. It is simply brought to life with incomplete powers and perception. But it could be true. What makes it fragile is the fact that the creator knows it’s not, nor could it be.

It all comes down to perception. Is this the truth YOU know? Is it the truth OTHERS know? Or is it a Truth that simply IS? Mirage is dispelled by a touch, only because the creator ‘knows’ it should be. It’s not solid, its illusion. It is a Lie. It has a shred of truth to power it, because those who see it know it COULD be, but the creator knows otherwise. It cannot be touched. 

That is the limit of Mirage. An ability that tricks the mind into seeing what it wants. Hearing what it wants. Specific. Limited. Perceived. Incomplete.

Fact and Fiction works differently. It is a more pure version of Mirage, yet unlike Mirage, it may be touched. It may be abused, hit, and damaged. In exchange, it may inflict the same on others. 

Fact and Fiction is not the same as Mirage, because it is not based in a Lie, but in a truth. It cannot be dispelled by touch, because the creator does not ‘know’ that it should be. It is different because even the creator can believe the ‘lie’. 

Pina Rossi believes. She believes so strongly in her perception that her recreation is flawless. She’s seen the proof. She’s seen the truth within the lie, the core surrounded by her embellishments. It’s what makes it so powerful. She takes that core, that inner steel, and coats it ever so lovingly with her power, her perception, shaping and editing where needed. The stronger the core, the less she must strengthen it. 

Is it any wonder that her favorite target to bring to life is Marinette? 

Her fact and fiction is a girl who loved where she shouldn’t have. A girl who had every reason to hate and refused. Her core of steel is set in reality. Marinette Dupain-Cheng is a firecracker, a girl with a strong sense of justice. Even a fake version of her cannot stand idle when she can right a wrong. Maladroit? She’s seen the real Marinette do triple backflips. She’s seen Marinette stumble, fall, and perform a summersault. She may not stick the landing, but Pina knows why. If there was ever a problem holding Marinette back, it was that she is woefully unsure of herself. She doubts her own abilities. She second guesses, overthinks, and catastrophizes. 

Something in her past has traumatized her, or perhaps she was born that way. Pina Rossi doesn’t know the Truth behind that matter; but she has but to take away that split second hesitation, that crippling second guess, and she sees Marinette blossom. Into what, she tries to avoid thinking about, at first in pure disbelief, and later simply because Ladybug asked her not to, so she goes out of her way to avoid thinking about it if possible.

But Fact and Fiction refused. The Truth, once known, cannot be stifled. It may be hidden, covered up, but it will not simply vanish into the night. The next time she called on Fictional Marinette, she was…different. Stronger. Faster. More agile. Marinette knows a little martial arts, but Fictional Marinette can flip a car and punch through a brick wall. Marinette tends to get scrapes and bruises, yet heals fairly quickly. Fictional Marinette can shrug off being punted through a wall, brush off the dust, and rejoin the fray. 

Normal Marinette once wore the Mouse Miraculous. Fictional Marinette now has the uncanny ability to use Multitude and split into several copies of herself. Ladybug once swapped her Miraculous with Chat, and now Fictional Marinette can use Cataclysm. Granted, these special powers take extra energy, sacrificing one of her two flutes to use, but The Truth, from Pina Rossi’s perspective, is that Marinette Dupain-Cheng would be a terrifying enemy, simply because Fictional Marinette is based on Real Marinette. 

A part of Pina Rossi wonders if she’s viewing the girl with rose tinted glasses, as it were, and maybe she’s seeing things that aren’t there. But at the same time, this is her truth. This is Marinette as Pina perceives her, with a couple lies thrown in. Even so, Fact can often be stranger than Fiction.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A trip down alternate universe lane, where Lila, now Pina, recalls the days past in a world where Lila Rossi made the right choice, and was rewarded with friends. 
> 
> I'll refer to her as Pina, though, since she's not exactly Lila as we know her.
> 
> Also, this chapter didn't really turn out the way I wanted it to...

The first time it happened, Pina was caught off guard. She’s barely had the time to come to terms with her budding feelings for the girl that had changed her life, before those feelings were tested. Marinette was a lovely girl, full of sunshine and good feelings, everything that would draw a hapless teen boy in. She was adorable, creative, and clumsy at times, yet always did her best to smile.

In hindsight, Pina really should have known better. Why would she, the new girl, be the first and only one to see Marinette for the shining beautiful jewel that she was? Yet here she was, stalking Marinette as a boy confessed his gooey, heartfelt crush to the girl of her dreams, even as the world fell away, leaving her stomach dropping to the ground. It was an unpleasant feeling, one that brought her old feelings stirring to the surface. 

_And this is why you don’t do ‘nice’. She’ll be taken from you. Bind her to you, make her yours by force, and you will never have to suffer this feeling again!_

Pina crushed those feelings instantly. She had not been much for comics, but she did read a few for the sake of Marinette’s friends. Adrien in particular turned out to be a closet weeb the likes of which she’d never seen before. Beauty held in bondage is beauty that is lost. She thought to herself firmly. She would not slip back into that mindset. She would not betray Marinette’s trust, or those heartfelt feelings. Yet still, the temptation remained, though it was greatly diminished upon hearing Marinette’s reply.

“I’m sorry…I can’t return your feelings. I…like someone else. But I wouldn’t mind being friends with you!” The noirette seemed slightly flustered, but that didn’t stop her from trying to be kind. She reached out and placed a hand on the boy’s shoulder, and after a moment’s hesitation, drew him in for a quick hug. “I know you’ll find someone out there who completes you. It’s just not me. You shouldn’t have to settle for a girl who’s hung up on another boy, and I know I’m not ready to let go yet. You deserve better than that, and I can’t give that to you.”

_Oh Marinette…You can’t be so sweet to a boy who literally just confessed to you. That’ll only make it worse!_

Pina couldn’t help but smile grimly, both touched and annoyed with the girl’s heart. Yet try as she might, she couldn’t deny the small sense of victory. She, like everyone else in the class, knew of Marinette’s crush on Adrien. He was literally, somehow, the last to know. Then again, she couldn’t say she was disappointed. His obliviousness was the only reason she thought she still had a chance. If she could sway Marinette’s heart from the blond, at least a little, then she wouldn’t mind being third in a ménage à trois. Adrien was a sweet boy, easy on the eyes, and possibly just as kind as Marinette, if not a bit…sheltered and naïve. She could see why Marinette would be attracted to him. That’s not to say Marinette didn’t have her own level of obliviousness. She’d learned through various, not at all sneaky means that there was at least one boy (or girl) in every class who was sweet on little miss sunshine. They would be the ones to watch. This boy, on the other hand, was the type to keep to himself, painfully shy. He was kind of the mousy, nerdy type. Brown hair, prone to curling in on himself. It must have taken a lot of courage to confess to a girl as obliviously popular as Marinette Dupain-Cheng. It would almost be cute, if Pina hadn’t already called dibs.

She could hear the boy stammering, unsure what to do when his crush tried to comfort him, trying to assure her that he didn’t expect anything from her, that he was okay, that he just wanted her to know. The relief flooding through her felt almost dirty at the sad, sympathetic smile playing on Marinette’s lips, and she realized with an unfortunate start that Marinette felt terrible, having to turn this boy down, even without really even knowing him. 

That was just how Marinette was. Kind to a fault, unwilling to cause harm if she could help it. The two talked for a few minutes, Marinette doing her best to cheer the boy up, though Pina personally thought that wasn’t going to help his feelings, before returning to lunch, where Alya attempted to grill her on where she’d gone. 

“And where’ve you been hiding away? Girl, one of these days we need to install some sort of tracker on you. Nino and I were looking for you; even Adrien was drafted to help.” Said blond waved cheerfully from Nino’s left, and Pina almost could see the return of Maladroit Marinette.

“What? I-I was…well…You know. I mean-” She was fumbling, trying to find a good excuse, anything besides ‘Oh yeah, I had a boy confessing to me behind school because he left a letter in my desk.’ Marinette always tried to keep the heat off of others, and to top it off, Alya picked the worst time to ask: Right in front of Adrien.

“She was with me. I’ve been feeling off all day, so she was keeping me company while I went to the nurse. It’s okay, Mari, I’m not embarrassed to admit I wasn’t feeling well this morning.” Pina smiled reassuringly at Marinette, her eyes trying to convey the message that she should play along. She could tell the dark haired girl was hesitant, but accepted the lifeline for what it was. Her shoulders slumped and she caved.

“Yeah, I just…didn’t think it was my business to share that.” 

_Oh Marinette…_ Pina reached out and patted her on the shoulder. “You’re sweet, Mari, but I’m not afraid to admit when I need help, nor will I turn away help when you offer it.” _Unlike you, Mari, who will let herself drown to avoid troubling others. But that’s what I’m here for._

Alya only laughed. “Girl, not all of us feel ashamed when we’re feeling in over our heads. You should try it sometime, miss ‘I stayed up all night working on costumes for Kitty Section instead of admitting I didn’t have time’. Speaking of in over our head, did you guys catch the latest news on the Ladyblog? The akuma yesterday was messed up!” 

Pina caught the dual wince in both Marinette and Adrien, quickly squashing down the rising truth in her mind, hand instinctively going to her pocket where a small, mythical fox slumbered. “Oh, yeah…It took all four heroes to take it down, didn’t it?” 

Yesterday’s akuma had taken five heroes, actually. But the public didn’t know that-

“Actually, I heard there were five! Of course Ladybug and Chat Noir were there, as well as Vulpina-“ Pina couldn’t help the small thrill that ran through her at the name. Her! The Fox hero! The REAL Vulpina! “-But I hear they called on Queen Bee and a new hero! I didn’t get her name, but she looked like some sort of panther or something. She made the entire team invisible!”

Pina smiled. How could she not? Alya’s energy was infectious, and admittedly, while her ability was to bend the truth and manipulate illusions, intangibility was beyond her. She couldn’t manage that particular feat. She had her suspicion of who this panther was, and what sort of concept it was based around, but Ladybug HAD asked her not to try and figure out identities as soon as her kwami had warned her that Trixx was one of the few kwami that could help see through glamours. Illusion is a power useless to those who cannot see through deception, after all. 

The only real question, though, was how ALYA knew that. She knew Panther wasn’t Alya, she was too calm and quiet to- NO. Do not…crap. Juleka. Pina felt her smile twitch, and fought the urge to groan. The ONE request Ladybug asked of her, and she already failed the newbie.

She tuned back into the conversation, hoping Alya hadn’t caught her slipping into consideration. “-And the akuma never even saw them coming! Then again, if it had, it still wouldn’t have mattered, since you can’t shoot what can’t be touched. Though I’m a little sad that Vulpina didn’t use her Fact and Fiction to make a second Ladybug again. That was weird, but really cool at the same time. I couldn’t even figure out which one was real, and I bet even Chat had to look twice.”

Adrien cut in, and Pina groaned mentally. “I’d like to think that he could tell the difference, but Vulpina’s illusions are really convincing.”

A scoff alerted the group to their unexpected addition. “Adrikins, I know you know better than that. Vulpina may not be as fabulous as Queen Bee, but even I wouldn’t call Vulpina’s ability Illusion. You forget that I’ve been carried by that “illusion” before. Those are solid copies, not illusions. I’d think YOU would have known the difference. Utterly ridiculous.” 

Adrien’s blush could have meant many things, and Pina wasn’t sure which of the possibilities she wanted to believe as the haughty blond joined them at the table. Alya rolled her eyes at Chloe’s theatrics, but didn’t comment. Chloe was a handful at best, bitchy at worst. Pina knew that underneath that arrogance, and buried under that self-assured exterior, the Bitch Queen of the class was just as fragile as Adrien, seeking validation. She just happened to show it differently. 

What was it Adrien had called her? A Tsundere? Pina snickered, unintentionally. The table turned as one, and Chloe fixed her stare on the fox. “Something funny about what I said, Rossi?”

Pina waved it off. Chloe may play the part of an unfriendly bitch, but she jealously guarded those she let close. “Nothing, Bourgeois. Just still finding it hilarious that Adrien is a total weeb.” Chloe seemed to lay off at that, though Adrien shot her a look of betrayal. 

“Pinaaaa, that’s not nice!” He whined. Both Alya and Marinette failed to contain their giggles, and even Chloe looked amused, her lips twitching in a stifled approximation of a smile. Nino, on the other hand, looked offended on behalf of his bro. 

“Don’t worry Adrien, your weebness is endearing. You’ll always be my bro, even with these traitors mocking you.” Nino hammed it up, placing an arm around Adrien’s shoulder with a mock glare at the rest of the table. 

“Oh Nino, sometimes I feel like you’re the only one that understands me! We must stay together, our bromance to endure for all eternity!” Adrien grinned, faux crying as he pulled Nino in for a hug. This did not help the outbreak of giggles at the table. 

Nino pulled back wrinkling his nose at Adrien. “Dude, eternity is a long time to live with the smell of stinky socks. That and the puns. Dude, bro, buddy, the _PUNS_.”

Adrien pulled away with a gasp of horror. “Nino! How DARE you! The Puns are innocent! It’s not my fault you aren’t punny enough to understand the fruit-fulness of a well-timed pun! Why, it’s paw-sitively a-peel-ing!”

The rest of the table groaned and Marinette buried her face in her arms. “Why, Adrien. Why must you be one of those people. What have I done to deserve such horrible wordplay? It’s not even well timed!”

Adrien grinned, unseen by Marinette. “Big talk coming from the girl-”

“Adrien…”

“Who rises-“

“Adrien NO…”

“From Bread!”

“Despair! The fact that my parents made my name a pun has filled me with Despair!” Marinette’s cry of outrage was muffled by her arms, though the shudders of her shoulders made it clear she was laughing. Or she may have been sobbing; Pina wasn’t sure.

Adrien, however, seemed tickled pink. “You made a reference! Mari made an anime reference! I’ll make a weeb of you yet, Marinette.” His megawatt smile was blinding, and Marinette’s flushed face when she lifted her head left Pina feeling conflicted. Adrien made her happy; that much was certain. But at the same time, it was infuriating that Marinette had eyes only for the blond boy.

She could see the subtle twitch in Chloe’s face that indicated she’d seen it too. Pina and Chloe had a…understanding. Chloe had first cornered the brunette after school weeks ago, having ditched Sabrina specifically for this confrontation, and what a confrontation. 

It had started as she’d expected, the girl insulting Pina’s…well…everything. Her hair, her fashion sense, her attitude...nothing was sacred. 

But Pina didn’t stand passively as Chloe berated her, returning fire as best she could, before Chloe upended her entire perception of the blond. 

“-And stay away from Dupain-Cheng!” The look on the red faced blonde’s face was telling as they both blinked. Pina froze just as surely as Chloe did, her mind furiously updating her entire recollection of the spoiled rich girl. Pieces formed patterns, tangled threads of thought becoming straight strands. And the Truth hit her like a freight train. Chloe hadn’t meant to say that, and it had slipped out in the heat of the moment. The undercurrent of dread in Chloe’s eyes spoke volumes.

“You want me to stay away from Marinette.” 

“Shut up, just…go away.” 

“You want me, Pina Rossi, to stay away from Marinette Dupain-Cheng, specifically.”

“Look, Rossi, you’re a bitch and no one can trust you.” There was an undertone of desperation, a hope that Pina would follow the insult and resume the cat fight rather than chase down the meaning, but Pina wasn’t one to let go easily. 

“Chloe, you hate Marinette. Shouldn’t you be glad that someone as untrustworthy as me is hanging around her? I could ruin her life and friendships.” The eyes are the windows of the soul, and Pina was watching carefully. There it was, the flicker.

“You should do that then. From far away. From me.”  


And it clicked. The picture righted itself in jarring clarity, and Pina almost gasped at the complete picture. She’d heard that Chloe had been bullying Marinette for years, scaring her friends away. Acting like she hated everything Marinette stood for, but that wasn’t quite the truth, was it? 

“You…don’t hate Marinette at all, do you? Or if you do, it’s because you hate that you don’t hate her.”

“You aren’t making any sense, Rossi. You sound ridiculous. Utterly Ridiculous.” 

Pina felt like she’d been hit over the head with a clue-by-four. “You feel drawn to her, and you hate it. You feel a sense of envy, so you think you’re jealous of her. But you don’t know why; or at least, you didn’t. You pick on her because she doesn’t pay attention to you otherwise. But you don’t want to need her attention.”

“Shut UP Rossi, what’s between me and Marinette is none of your business.”

“Chloe…do you have a crush on Marinette?” At this, Chloe snapped. 

“Shut up, Rossi, you don’t know anything! I hate Marinette Dupain-Cheng, and we all know it! Stupid little goody-two-shoes. She has everything! Friends, a mom…”

“She’s kind, and gives everyone a chance, even if they don’t deserve it.” 

Chloe scoffed, sticking her nose in the air like a perfect spoiled princess. “Shows what you know, Dupain-Cheng hates me too.”

“I wasn’t talking about you.” This seemed to catch the blonde off guard. “I was talking about me. I won’t say I don't deserve hate; I’ve done terrible things. But Marinette doesn’t care, as long as you try to be better. She may be wary, but I’m sure if you apologize-“

“For what? I’ve done nothing wrong!”

“-Then I’m sure she’d be perfectly willing to be your friend, too. She’ll give you attention without you having to ask for it. You won’t have to be mean to get your way, as long as it’s within reason. I’ll tell you a secret…”

Pina braced herself; this was a TERRIBLE idea! “I…have a crush on her too.”

If nothing else, it made Chloe silent, staring at Pina as if she’d grown two heads. Or turned into a superhero, which worked too. “…You have a crush on Marinette?”

Pina laughed breathlessly, feeling light headed. “Yeah, a huge crush that I have no idea what to do with. She’s just…too damn nice. Every time someone gets close to her, I want to hug her to my chest and yell ‘mine!’ at the top of my lungs, because I know there are at least six boys in various classes that have a crush on her. I don’t need or want the competition, especially considering that it’s YOUR oblivious dumbass friend that has the biggest hold on her heart.”

“Adrikins isn’t a dumbass, Lie-la.” Chloe protested, though it was slightly weak.

“You’re reaching, Chloe. Look, maybe I’m wrong. Maybe you don’t have a crush, and maybe I’m imagining it. Maybe you do hate her because she’s more popular than you, or because her mom is still around. I’m not you; I can’t say for certain. All I know is that from where I’m standing, it looks like you’re pulling her literal pigtails because you want her to look at you, and only you. If you want friends, try being more like her. You don’t have to be just like her, just nicer. And if you actually like her, well, I’ll warn you that you have competition, and they’re already miles ahead of you.”

Pina was pulled back from memory lane by an elbow to her side. “You okay there? You kinda spaced.” A glance to her side revealed two concerned sapphire eyes. 

“I’m fine, just a little tired.” Little white lies, but necessary. 

“Looks like Adrien and Marinette aren’t the only ones who miss out on sleep. You were stuck in your own head there for a good while.” Alya’s smile was bright, with a hint of curiosity. “Care to share what was going on in there that was so fascinating?”

“Oh, nothing much, just lost in memory lane. I’ve never really had a chance to hang out with friends like this, where I don’t have to play myself up to be interesting. I think I prefer this, just…hanging out with you all.” Pina smiled, but everyone else, save Marinette, seemed slightly uncomfortable at the reminder. 

The noirette didn’t disappoint, and Pina was blessed with her arm around her shoulder. “See? This is how it is supposed to be with friends. Its fine to ask favors of your friends, but you shouldn’t have to lie to them for them to do it.” Her smile was blinding, and Pina felt ready to melt at the purity of it, even as Adrien relaxed, and Alya felt her own tension melt away. She’d been there once as the new kid, but Marinette just…had a way of making people feel welcome. And if Mari could make Lila feel wanted without lying for it, Alya wasn’t going to hold it against her. Much.

Chloe, on the other hand, was slightly conflicted. She’d thought about what Rossi said, and she didn’t particularly like the trail she’d uncovered. If nothing else, she discovered that she was a bit too fond of Marinette for her own comfort, but she wasn’t willing to admit to anything as severe as a crush. 

Not yet, anyway.


	5. Heartbreak

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pina takes an stroll in the park, then through a portal.

_Rage is a powerful emotion._

_Yet so is heartbreak. Sorrow so sweet, yet so broken, like shattered glass. It spreads through the heart, infecting each thought like a virus, until all that is felt is the anguish that you were just never quite good enough. For some, it is temporary, lasting from weeks to months. For others, it is a constant ache, a pang of discomfort that slowly grows less severe, yet never truly goes away._

_Is it any wonder that this emotion so easily turns to rage? It erodes the mind, surrounding it with painful spikes, and any small movement is able to inflict near unbearable pain. But if one does not move, they will never break the circle of thorns, and will never be free of heartbreak._

_It must get worse before it gets better, as the saying may be. But even still, not everyone tries to move past this pain, and thus they grow stagnant, and the wound festers, rotting from the inside as that pure emotion known as love boils and mixes with pain and sadness. It forms a heady, vile mixture of hate and rage, and while the pain is less noticeable, it is still there. Influencing. Guiding. Poisoning._

_Pain is said by some to be weakness leaving the body, but it is not so. Pain is the mind begging for relief. Pain is a warning, a flashing red light that something is wrong, cease and find out what is causing this. Pain is a good teacher, hard wired into the human mind to dissuade it from self-destruction, but as they say, a little poison is medicine, but too much medicine is poison._

_Pain is needed to grow, yet too much pain is to chance fatality. That is why the first thought when struck by sudden, unexpected pain is ‘What is causing this, and how can I make it stop?’_

Pina knew she should be happy. Objectively. Marinette was finally happy with the boy of her dreams, Adrien was over the moon about it, and Alya was squealing with happiness. Objectively, she, as Marinette’s friend, should be happy for her, throwing parties and congratulating the happy couple.

Yet misery was all she felt at this exact moment. The heart in her chest breaking, crying out as she realized it was Adrien who would forever be next to the princess of the story. Adrien who was her Prince Charming. Adrien who was her knight in shining armor. Adrien who was allowed to kiss her and welcome her home after a hard day.

Adrien whom she would love, day after day, night after night, for the rest of her life. 

Pina felt the heat in her eyes, the burning in her throat, and she glanced around, before settling against a tree in the park. This was fine. This was always going to be the result. There could have been no other way this could have ended. 

_Yet no matter how much you tell yourself that, a part of you will always wonder. What if. What if you had tried harder? What if you had confessed your feelings? What if you had driven a wedge in between Marinette and her crush? Could it have been you? Could it be you that she would be snuggled up against? Could it be your lips she was kissing right this second? Could it be you?_

A choked sob wrenched itself from her lips, and she hated it. She hated feeling this weak. She hated that a single sob had opened the flood gates. She hated that the quiet, heart wrenching sobs were tearing themselves from her chest, and she could do nothing to stop them. 

_You are stronger than this, Pina! You know you are! This is fine. This is Fine. THIS IS FINE!_

_You’re lying to yourself. This is not fine. How could she? How could she do this to you?_

Even in the midst of her quiet heartbreak, she crushed that line of thought ruthlessly. She wasn’t going to blame Marinette. That wasn’t fair, nor was it right. Marinette was her friend, and so was Adrien. She may still have a chance to be their plus one. Both of them.

_Really? How pathetic can you be? You used to be a Queen. A RULER. Now you’re just a pathetic, sniveling crybaby weeping in a park because ‘wahh, Marinette doesn’t love me! I’m going to cry over her for the next few weeks because she hurt my feelings!’_

The voice sounded like her, back before Marinette. A queen, maybe, but a bitch beyond even the likes of Chloe’s mom, and that was a level she never wanted to sink to again. So focused on her heartbreak and self-inflicted hate, she never saw the black butterfly, fluttering its wings as it came in contact with the hair ribbon Marinette had given to her to pull her hair into a ponytail. She did, however, notice the new voice in her head. 

_**Heartbreak Queen, I am Hawkmoth…** _

The first few words jolted her, and she sat rigid in attention. No. Nononono! She couldn’t, she couldn’t be akumatized! It wasn’t that bad, right? She wasn’t _that_ distressed! Right?

_**You have done everything you could to win her favor, changed yourself because you wanted to be better, yet she left you behind to pursue a boy. You could have stopped it at any time, but you did not. You deserve happiness as well. I give you the power to-** _

“No.” Pina could feel his confusion. Her dark, smoothly tempting voice took on a tinge of surprise. 

_**…Do you not believe you deserve better?** _

“Marinette doesn’t deserve that, and neither does Adrien. I don’t want your power Hawkmoth.” Pressure was building; and Pina felt her mind buckle as a hint of rage went through the man on the other side. Something told her that he wasn’t really a fan of being refused. There were whispers in the back of her mind, and she could feel herself starting to slip. 

_Trust him. He understands._

_Accept our power. We will help you._

_He doesn’t deserve her. Why not you?_

_You poor girl. You don’t deserve this heartbreak._

_You’ve played her best friend for so long, helped her so many times. Doesn’t she owe you?_

The last though, the last whisper jarred her back to reality, and reestablished her foothold on her own mind. She didn’t think that, right? No way was that how she truly felt. The thought was vile, repugnant, and ugly. Gradually, she gathered her strength, and began to push back. She saw, more than felt, her hand reach up and back. The destination? Her ribbon. Marinette’s ribbon. The thing she treasured most of everything she was currently wearing. 

For the first time, she understood why Hawkmoth’s akuma went to an item of great importance when akumatizing someone. She knew what had to be done, but it tore at her to even consider it. But she would do it. 

She would do it for Marinette. Marinette could fix it anyway, right? Marinette didn’t deserve an Akumatized Pina on the happiest day of her high school year. 

_**What are you doing? Why do you reject my sincere offer to help? I offer you everything, all I ask in return are Ladybug and Chat Noir’s miraculous! Why will you not submit? You could have everything you ever wanted!** _

Her hand ceased its upward journey, and Pina could feel the tears running down her cheeks. Would it really be so bad? She even knew how to get them, if she just-NO! She bit her lower lip, and the pain helped ground her…for all of a second. 

_**You’re making a mistake.** _

The words were tumbling from her lips without thought, but she focused on them, on their meaning. On the feelings behind them. 

“No. I’m not. Marinette is kind. She deserves love, just as much as I do, and she owes me nothing, Hawkmoth. Maybe you don’t understand that feeling. Maybe you do. But I am Pina Rossi. I’m in love with Marinette Dupain-Cheng. And I _Reject_ your _Evil. **Fucking. BUTTERFLY!”**_

With titanic effort, and she could swear she felt her very muscles screaming in protest, she gripped the ribbon, and yanked it out of her hair, not caring if strands of brown were tangled with it. With a sob of loss, as if some part of her saw this as some sort of grand, symbolic gesture, she pulled with all her might, and with a deceptively small sound, tore the ribbon in two. A black butterfly fluttered out of the ruined fabric, fluttering away almost drunkenly. 

As the slowly whitening butterfly flew away, something in Pina broke. She’d fought off an akuma for Marinette. She’d changed for Marinette. She’d slipped away quietly so as not to upset Marinette. 

So hopefully, Marinette wouldn’t judge her if she broke down and wept for her loss. The quiet park air was filled with soft sniffles and the ground watered with the tears of a heartbroken brunette, but while her every sound felt like it was too loud, too noticeable, Pina know that this late at night, the park would keep her secret. The tree she sat against would be her only witness. Marinette didn’t need to know her friend was nearly akumatized over her happiness; Pina wouldn’t do that to her.

But for now, she would cry. She would weep, secure in the knowledge that she was allowed to feel, that she was allowed to be hurt. In this moment, that was the only comfort she had.

_There are different kinds of strength. Mental strength. Emotional strength. Physical strength. To possess one is natural, as one naturally tries to compensate for that which they lack. To possess two is lucky, as there are those who lack even one. To possess all three is an accomplishment. But like any strength, one must exercise it. Polish it. Test it. Chaos does not abide those who squander their evolution. Order adores discipline. That is not to say that there are not those naturally gifted, but a gift left unused is a gift wasted. Pina Rossi considers herself strong, but there is a part of her that doubts, that calls her weak. It creeps in, casting shadows on her heart, telling her that the strong do not concern themselves with the feelings of the weak, that they TAKE what they want without care._

_Years ago, Pina Rossi would have agreed. Years ago, Lila Rossi agreed wholeheartedly. But this is where the path diverges. This is where the break starts. For want of a nail. A simple spark. A small change. A single moment of doubt. A single choice. A fixed moment, where a choice is made, and history branches._

_This is the difference between Pina Rossi, and Lila Rossi. This is the source of conflict, yet also the source of strength. Pina knew how she had once thought, and the memory disgusted her. But Lila never considered she could be wrong. Pina accepted a hand of friendship, and learned the dizzying highs and crushing lows of love. Lila discarded the offer, and scoffs at the mere concept of love._

_Pina gained the strength to deny Hawkmoth. Lila reaches for Hawkmoth willingly. Pina controls her rage, keeps it weak, letting it loose only when she sees no other way. Lila embraces rage, and lets it control her._

_They are mirror images, split paths, never to meet. But what if they did? What if, in a single instant, reality was torn asunder, and she were allowed to fall into a world where her dark mirror dwells? What happens when two different versions of the same girl come into conflict?_

_Order and Chaos. Chaos laughs, fascinated. Order sighs, exasperated. There is no fixing it now. What will be shall be._

In hindsight, touching a weird shimmering portal in the street is an idea most unwise. Especially if it shows a younger Paris on the other side, with younger versions of people walking around. That goes triply so if you feel the sensation of urgent tugging, of a strange compulsion. Pina may never know why it called to her specifically, or why she felt like someone on the other side NEEDED her, her specifically. 

“Pina, wait! Stop, don’t go any closer! Pina, PLEASE!” The wind whipped through her hair, ponytail flapping in the wind, held in place only by a repaired ribbon. The portal shimmered, and everything within twenty feet of the doorway was pushed away with irresistible force. Everything but Pina. She could hear Marinette pleading with her, hear Adrien trying and failing to push through whatever repulsing barrier lay between them. Alya was screaming too, for once her live stream forgotten as she pounded the invisible membrane between them.

“She needs me…this portal is for me, and me alone.” The words rang with Truth, but Pina could hear none of it. She could only feel. The heartbreak, the pain, the tears. There were sounds coming from the portal, and a flash of red and back. She felt the magic pour from it, the feeling of Ladybug’s Lucky Charm and Miraculous Cure, and Cataclysm. 

“Pina, come back! It isn’t safe!” She allows herself a moment to look back, and meets the eyes of Marinette Dupain-Cheng. Her eyes are wild, desperate, pleading with her to stay, stay with her. She looks to the left, where Adrien’s efforts have waned, and he stares back with the same pleading expression. 

_Don’t do this. Don’t leave us behind._

But Pina knows. Somehow, she knows. They will be fine. They’re Ladybug and Chat Noir. They’re the Miraculous Duo. But more than that, they’re Marinette Dupain-Cheng and Adrien Agreste. But somewhere, on the other side of this portal, there is someone who is NOT fine. Someone is hurting, in pain, crying out for help, yet none is offered. And it BURNS. She doesn’t want to leave her friends. 

_But she must._

She doesn’t want to leave the girl she’s grown to love.

_But she must._

The idea of entering that portal, into a world she doesn’t know, a world where anything could happen…it frightens her. She can feel the fear of the unknown deep in her bones.

_But she must!_

“Alya, I’ll miss you. I’m sorry for lying to you and Nino. Adrien, you know, I’ve always thought you were a bit of a pushover, but when it matters, I know you’ll always do the right thing. You’ll take care of her. You’ll take care of everyone, just like you always do.” She knows she’s crying now, the tears hot and heavy as they trail down her cheeks. And then her eyes turn to Marinette.

And it almost breaks her. The noirette has collapsed to her knees, eyes full of tears. Marinette knows she can’t stop her. Pina knows she’s likely fighting the urge to abandon her resolve and cry out those words, to bring forth Lady Luck and fight for her friend. 

But she can’t. Paris is watching. Hawkmoth is watching. Marinette Dupain-Cheng can do nothing but weep, begging wordlessly for Pina to return. To turn and walk back like it was all a sick joke. Pina is sure Marinette would forgive her on the spot if she did. 

_But she cannot._

“Marinette…You were the first. The first to believe in me. The first to look past my wrongs and say that I’ve done wrong, but that doesn’t matter as long as I make it right to the best of my ability. You had faith in me, believed I could change. You have no idea how much that means to me. How much you mean to me. But on the other side of this portal, someone is hurting. I can help them; I know I can. She needs help, and no one will extend that hand to her. I’ll miss you all, but I’ll miss you most, Marinette. My first friend….My first….” _Love. Love is the word that gets left unsaid._

Pina turns away, unwilling to finish. She won’t leave it like that, with THAT word hanging in the air. She won’t do that to Marinette. Instead, she’ll keep that word buried in her heart, that sweet sorrow to remind her of what she lost, what she could have had if she had changed her ways sooner. So she turns away, looking away from the heartbroken look on Marinette’s face, the abandonment clear in her eyes. She can’t bear to see it, or her resolve will break. 

_I must._

_Yes, you must, sweet child. You must._

_She reaches out, and touches the portal, and feels it pull her through. Over the howling wind, she can barely hear an aborted command._

_“Tikki, Spots-MMMPH!”_

_Good job, Adrien. I knew I could count on you._

The colors shift and swirl around her, and her body tingles. Something is changing; she can feel it. Yet through it all, she can hear the song. Soothing, promising, and caressing her mind with a sweet lullaby. 

_My dear, sweet child…what bravery you have shown. What selflessness. To cast away all that you have ever known in a quest to aid someone who needs it. Never doubt that you have committed a heroic act. Never doubt that there is great love in your heart, and great potential. But your trials are only beginning. Be strong, be brave, and your happy ending may yet come. I must leave you now, but never forget that no matter what, you are loved._

The colors inverted, shifting and swirling, and suddenly blackness took her. It wasn’t blindness, but she didn’t recall closing her eyes. She blinked, confused, as the world came into focus. The sun sat low in the sky, and there were sounds of struggle nearby. The portal closed up behind her, and she was left alone. 

Alone in an alien reality. 

“You know, when the new Guardian gave me to you, I’ll admit I expected many things. Corruption, selfishness…stealing from the rich and giving to the needy…but leaving our reality was probably at the bottom of the list of things I expected. And that is the Truth.” 

_Scratch that, almost alone._

“Trixx…you came with me?” Pina could feel herself tearing up again. She wasn’t completely alone, and while Trixx was no Marinette, they were a close second. 

“Of course I did, Kit. I’m not the type to abandon my charge. I mean it, as long as you wear that Miraculous, you’re stuck with me, like it or not. Now I’d suggest we transform, I sense hunters afoot, and I don’t like being tracked while helpless.” Pina smiled, eyes watery. Thank the Kwamis for Trixx. 

“Trixx, Tails Free!” 


End file.
